Method of sealing jars and the like containers and improved sealing capsule therefor



March 6, 1928. 1,661,977

J. w. SUTCLIFFE METHOD OF SEALING JARS AND THE LIKE CONTAINERS AND IMPROVED SEALING CAlfSULE THEREFOR Filed Nov. 2a. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IQ QEE March 6, 1928. 1,661,977

J. W. SUTCLIFFE METHOD OF SEALING JARS ANDTI-IE LIKE CONTAINERS AND IMPROVED SEALING CAPSULE THEREFOR Filed Nov. 23. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QID U nnnnmmununnnmuunuumuu v ooooooooooooooooooooov Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN WILLIAM SU'ICLIFFE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PATENT OFFEDE.

METHOD OF SEALING JARS AND THE LIKE CONTAINERS AND IMPROVED'SEALING CAPSULE THEREFOR.

Application filed November 23, 1925, Serial No.

The present invention relates to an improved closure for the sealing of jars, bottles and thelike.

It has been usual to seal a cap on a jar or bottle by means of a flanged sealing strip or band which is applied to the jar or bottle with the cap or stopper and previous to having its lower edge spun to form an inturned flange bearing below a flange on the jar or bottle.

The spinningunder of the edge of this strip in this manner has had certain disadvantages in that considerable. force was necessary, so that where it was not always possible to arrange for the flange on the bottle or jar to be accurately disposed at ight angles to the axis of the bottle or jar,

or to an accurate depth from the top of the bottle or jar, it occurred that the sealing or spinning tools have caused a cracking and breakage of this flange, and again in other cases the metal of the band was apt to pucker so that the band could not form a proper seal.

According to the present invention the lower edge alone of a sealing strip or band for applying to the closure cap or stopper of a jar or bottle has its structure weakened so that it may subsequently readily bend substantially at right angles to the band by the use of moderate pressure. This weakening of structure may be for instance, effected by grooving the band adjacent the line along which it will be bent inwards, or

again by removing the portions from the band adjacent its edge, either by pertorating the band adjacent the edge or by serrating this edge, so that in each case the edge can be bent inwards by moderate pressure, which otherwise would be only pos sible by causing the metal to distort, which as can be readily seen, requires considerable mechanical force.

The invention is more particularly de scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a part elevation of a bottle with an improved closure in place upon it shown in section.

Figure 2 is a corresponding view to Figure 1 showing the sealing strip or band only developed in elevation. 7

Figures 8 and 4 show modified forms of sealing band.

Figure 5 shows the form of band or strip 70,916, andin Great Britain November 29, 1924.

of Figure 2 ready for application to a jar.

Figure 6 is a view showing the crimped edge of the band of Figure 5 after sealing.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the action of an elastic sealing element on the lower edge of the strip or band. c

Figure 8 is a modified form of closure in sectional elevation. 1

Figures 9 to 11 show a modified fastening for the ends of the strip.

A bottle 1, has, as is usual with certain forms of closure, a closure cap 4, which has an elastic ring or rubber, cork or the like 5, which is pressed hermetically upon the up-t per flange surface 6 ofthe bottle or jar 1. After the jar has been filled with its contents and the cap 4 applied, the sealing strip orband of the present invention is then ap plied. This sealing strip or band 7 has the usual upper inturned flange 8, buthas its lower edge 9 weakened by perforating as shown in Figures 3 and 4,

The perforations may be rectangular as shown in Figure 3, circular as shown in Fig: ure 4:, or any other convenient shape.

In the modified form of sealing band or strip shown in Figures 2, and 5 the strip is grooved peripherally atll, prior to application to the This grooving forms a fold whiohfacilitates the crimping of this lower edge of the strip under the flange on the jar as shown in Figure 5.

An important advantage of the sealing,

bands or stripsoi this invention is that the seal, may be applied by a contracting pres sure applied simultaneously around the whole, periphery, of the strip. when encircling the jar as the lower edge otthe strip being weakened for instance by a grooving adjacent its edge, allows this to be deformed without distortion, aprocess which requires considerably less effort than the turning in of a solid edged strip by spinning which in consequence of the reduction in periph eral length of the edge necessitates a flow of the metal with consequent distortion oi": the strip edge.

In the case where the band or strip is grooved, this has the further advantage of strengthening the band laterally.

Further as shown diagrammatically in Figure 7 an elastic contracting sealing tool 15 will roll the lower depending edge 16 of the said strip around and under the edge 17 of the flange on the bottle or jar, the

grooving forming also an elastic and accommodating hinge line, thereby obviating any risk of breakage or damage to the flange 6 on the jar.

It has been found that this sealing strip or band provides every effective closure for the reason that the sealing pressure dis. tributed evenly over a very large number of points around the flange ring on the jar which overcomes the disadvantage present with the usual straight edge, in that this was apt to pucker or fold. Further, it is now possible to applythisclosing'strip by means of a spiral. metal wire, a rubber or other annular elastic die so that any irregularity in the flange on the glass jar or hot tle would be compensated for and owing to the elastic pressure there is no danger of splinter-mg the glass.

The sealing element may eithe'r be in the form of astrip as shown, having detachable tongue and slot connections 12, 13 at its ends, or may be in the form of one piece ring.

The sealin elements can be formed from metal strip by cutting oil to length, and punchin the tongue and slot connections 12, 13. 'lhe upper flange can then be formed or may be formed simultaneously with the above 0 erations. The weakening of the lower e go by grooving, or by serration or perforations may, be eflected prior to cutting to length or simultaneously with the punching of the connection 12, 13.

A simple form of closure is shown-in Figure 9 in which a bottle or jar 18 has an elastic washer 21 hearing on its neck .22. A disc or cap 23 ofpaper, collodion or other suitable material is slipped overit,the lower edge of which cap 23 being held under the flange 24 of the bottle or jarby the closure ring flange 25. This forms a very efi'ective sea Instead of forming a closure ring from a strip by interlocking tongue and slot means as shown in Figures 1 to '5' it will be found sufficient for many purposes to provide an undercut indentationor notch 26 in one end of the strip to interlock with a turnedup lip 27 on the other end of the strip. Or again as shown in Figures 10--l1 the ends of the strip can be provided with interlocking dovetailing portions 28, 29 or again 30, 31, respectively which will be mutually engaged to form the strip into a ring prior to its application to the jar.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. A closure for-containers conn'irising an elastic sealing element for the neck of the container, a metal ring embracing said neck, a flange on said ring bearing on the sealing element, and a lower rim on said ring having an unbroken lower edge and weakened peripherally along and above said edge.

2. As an article of manufacture a metal sealing element for containers comprising a metal strip havingan upper flange an alower' rim having an unbroken lower edge and weakened peripherally along and above its edge.

3. A closure for containers comprising an elastic sealing element for the neck of the container, a metal strip embracing said neck, mutually engaging portions on the ends of said strip, a flange on said strip bearing on the sealing element, and a lower rim on said strip having an unbroken lower edge and weakened peripherally above and along said edge.

4. A closure for containers comprising an elastic sealing element for the neck of the container, :1 metal strip embracing saidneck, mutually engaging portions on the ends of said strip, a flange on said strip bearing on the sealing element and a lower rim on said ring having an unbroken lower edge and an internal groove along and above its edge.

5. As an article of manufacture a metal sealing element for containers comprising a metal strip having an upper flange, mutually engaging portions at its ends and a lower rim havingan unbroken lower edge and an internal groove along and above its lower ed e.

l n witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 29thday of October, 1925. 3

JOHN WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE. 

